The Max Mara 101801 coat is, in a word, iconic. Designed by Anne-Marie Beretta for the luxury fashion brand and debuted in 1981, it is the epitome of classic style: everlasting and elegant. It works with jeans and a tee just as well as it does with a floor-length gown. No wonder this is Max Mara’s best-selling model ever.
When the Italian brand celebrated 50 years in 2001, New York artist William Wegman was commissioned to take eight photographs of the 101801 coat, which he did—on the soft fur of his beloved Weimaraners. Wegman is known for his dog photos, which span from comical to loveable to chic. Who else can make a Weimaraner drape powerfully over a chair like a Victoria’s Secret model?
The resulting eight Max Mara images culminated in a series called Dogs in Coats that has toured to Max Mara stores around the world, delighting customers with its depictions of high-fashion canines. And now it’s Vancouver’s turn.
Until Sept. 20, 2017, the charming photographs are on view at Max Mara’s Pacific Centre store. “Vancouver is the only city in the world to have three Max Mara locations,” says Catherine Guadagnuolo, founder and president of Vestis Fashion Group, which operates the boutiques here. “We are an important destination partner.”
Camel, cream, and navy versions of the archive 101801 coat, made of a wool and cashmere blend, are available at all three Vancouver shops. “Everybody loves this coat,” Guadagnuolo says. “Everybody wants this coat.” Indeed, smoothing a hand over the double-breasted fastening and kimono sleeves, it is hard not to imagine oneself wrapped in one.
